Field
Exemplary embodiments relate to test structures, and, more particularly, to a test structure and a method of manufacturing a structure including the same.
Discussion
Manufacturing integrated circuit (IC) chips (or devices) may involve performing various thin-film processes on a semiconductor substrate. IC chips formed on a semiconductor substrate may be spaced apart from one another by a distance spanning a scribe region (or line) used to dice the semiconductor substrate into individual IC chips. Although semiconductor elements constituting an IC chip may not be formed in the scribe region, the scribe region may include pads for process monitoring.
For instance, during semiconductor manufacturing, IC chips may be tested as each thin-film process is performed on the IC chips to increase product reliability. A test element that corresponds to a semiconductor element may be simultaneously formed in a scribe region when forming the semiconductor element in an IC chip region. Since manufacturing conditions of a test element may be substantially the same as those of a corresponding semiconductor element, electrical characteristics of the semiconductor element may be effectively tested by testing the simultaneously formed test element. One or more test elements may be grouped, which may be referred to as a test structure or a test element group (TEG).
Designing a high performance IC chip may include increasing the number of semiconductor elements formed on the IC chip. Thus, increasing product reliability of high performance IC chips may involve testing more elements, which may require more space in a scribe region. On the other hand, designing a high performance IC chip may also require scaling down a footprint of the IC chip on a single semiconductor substrate. This may involve reducing the size of a scribe region. Accordingly, it is difficult to design an effective test structure in a limited amount of space in a scribe line.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the inventive concept, and, therefore, it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.